Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1887-12-17
WIVES IN TIE CITY.
LITTLE REDRESS FOR WOMEN DE-
SERTED BY THEIR HUSBANDS.

SERTED BY THEIR HUSBANDS.
Marital Troubles Brought TO Light In the
Police Courts OF New York City-Choicc
between Puuperism and Starvation.
Delinquent Husbands
Mon tired OF their wives occupy moro than
fair share of the time and attention of the
police magistrates Tho law gives very lit
tie redress TO women deserted by their hus-
bands. Before magistrate cun intorfero ct
all III behalf OF the woman she is obliged to
apply to the commissioners Of charities and
correction for u roquistion to tho magistrate
in tho district in which shc resides. This
rcquiSiticn empowers, or rather orders, the
! magistrate to issue warrant for tho arrest
Of tho delinQvers husband. Before obtaining
| this order on the magistrate tho applicant Is
obliged to swoar that shc Is without means of
support. and that she will DO obliged TO call
on the city to support her If her husband Is
not compelled to provide for her. If sho asks
for any Of tho !uxuries Of life sho will not
get them, because, having secured the arrest
OF her husband, she merely occupies tho posi-
ton of a witness in the police court She has
sworn that she will have to be supported by
; the city # tho city docs not compel her hus-
bond to provide for her; therefore tho city
tal;cs charge Of the unfortunate wonlan's
affairs, and takes the husband into custody
merely to protect itself from having another
pauper TO support.
FIVE DOLLARS PER WEEK.
This being the case, the woman is rarely
allowed more than s. per week by tho mag
istrate for tho support of horself aud perhaps
two or three children II she has no chill
dren and can do work, or has children who
arc able to work, and who turn any OF thor
earnings over to her, these facts ara takcn
into consideration and tho amount the hus-
band is ordered to pay her is correspondingly
lesscned
Tho husband may have made tho wifos
life 50 miserable that she cannot live with
him. Flo boldly announces, however: II
never refused to live with her Sho left me.
I am willing to take her home with mo now
and support her."
'How is this' Is no telling tho truthg'
tho magistrate inquiries
II could not 1.-Two with him Ho abused
me, called MO all manner of vilo namos and
said he wished l would leavo him. the
woman answers.
Although tho magistrate may believe
every word the woman says he is i,owerless
to do anything but tell her to go homa
with tho husband, and, il no abuses her, to
corle back and have him arrested for disor-
derby conduct or assault. II tho woman ~
;uses the justice has no alternative but to
dismiss the oaso and let tho woman starvo or
become pauper, supported by tho city
Many Of these applicants for support have
not been actually abandoned, but have been
doing moro than their share toward main
tanning tho household, while the delinquent
husband has boon turning mere pittance OF
his earnings into the house, drinking up the
remainder and abusing mis- family every time
he got drunk.
If you would only give hir, talking to
and make him promise to do better, judge"
the wife says. Don't lock him up The
little money get from him is better than
none, and il he IS locked up he can't earn
anything"
LEcTURrNe TIE DELINQUENT
The magistrate thus appealed to delivers
lecture 20 the delinquent and dismisses him
with the threat Of prompt Imprisonment II
he does not treat his family better The jus
tice, however, rarely believes that this will
hayo any lasting effect, and it very rarely
does. In most instances tho man is moro
firmly convinced than ever that his family
arc unable to get along without him, and he
feels sure that his abused wife will not dare
to appeal again to the court through fear
that her little income will be still further dc
creased by his Imprisonment Accordingly,
he usually acts worse than before. If he
continues to give some little support to his
family his wife bears bis abuse as best she
can
Sometimes such men become so reckless
that they cease to be Of the slightest benefit
to their families and ere locked up Tho law
is next to powerless with men whose income
will allow them to live apart from their wives
II such mon choose to contribute to tho sup
port Of their wives they may abandon them
at will ana police magistrate can do moth
ing to aid the desezted wifa linny wives
arc unable b Swcar truShfelly that thsy arc
liable TO become peupers, Many others will
not submit 70 tho humiliation OF swearing 30
even II it is true
Many refined, well educated women submit
to all the hurniliating prelimineries to secur-
ing the abandonment warrants because of
their just indignation at boing abandoned for
women whose physical charms arc superior
to their own. Such applicants are surprised
to learn that tho law is not framed to punish
such offenses, but merely to prevent an in
crease Of the number Of paupers. The dc
linquent Is merely called upon to give bonds
to give his wife o certain amount each week.
Faro indeed do such men face their injured
wives, oven once week Some place has to
be provided for the receipt and delivery Of
tho weekly stipend This has led the sergeants
of the various police courts TO assume duty,
which has of late grown to such proportions
that it has become decidedly onerous. Scr
gcants of the police courts have moro than
fifty men on their lists who are thus handing
in their weekly instalhncnts. These ere passed
over to the deserted wiyes, and receipts taken.
In many Of the buster courts this list will in
clude from 100 to 1J0 nalnes-Ncw York
Evening Sun
happening Boards at the Docks.
Among the flotsam Of our docks damaged